formal lesson plan for teaching & learning - Fresno Pacific University

INCREASING STUDENT MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT
WITHIN THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM THROUGH
DEVELOPING STUDENT-TEACHER REALATIONSHIPS
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A Master’s Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of
Fresno Pacific University
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In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the
Master of Arts Degree
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By
Jon Conrad
April 2012

Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters of Arts
Degree at Fresno Pacific University.
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Permission to reproduce this thesis in its entirety must be obtained from
the author.
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I grant Hiebert Library permission to make this thesis available for use by its own
patrons, as well as those of the broader community through inter-library loan.
This use is understood to be within limitations of copyright.
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IV

Abstract
This paper was intended to lay the foundation in rationale and research for
a quest to discover and develop motivational techniques meant to encourage
high school students in the study of biology. Elements that stood in the way of
motivation were analyzed and methods to combat these roadblocks to learning
were documented. The ability of students to work with self-determination in order
to develop student autonomy was deemed to be worthy of encouragement.
Lesson plans were developed, implemented and results analyzed. Comparisons
with past years were made. Conclusions were drawn and adjustments for future
plans suggested.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... VI
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1
Statement of Intent ...................................................................................... 1
Rational ........................................................................................................ 2
Research Questions .................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ..................................................... 7
Introduction ................................................................................................. 7
Factors that Affect Student Motivation ........................................................ 8
Self-Efficacy ................................................................................................ 8
Attribution Theory ....................................................................................... 9
Self-Worth ................................................................................................. 10
Achievement Goal .................................................................................... 11
Enjoying School ........................................................................................ 12
Digital Youth ............................................................................................. 13
Parental Influence ..................................................................................... 14
The Influence of Fear ................................................................................ 15
Student Autonomy .................................................................................... 17
Intrinsically or Extrinsically Driven Motivation ........................................... 18
Teaching Methods Beneficial to Motivating Students ............................... 20
Establishing the Setting ............................................................................ 20
Humor ....................................................................................................... 21
Playing Music ............................................................................................ 22
Classroom Décor ...................................................................................... 23
Gaining Student Trust ............................................................................... 23
Student Autonomy .................................................................................... 27
Parental Involvement ................................................................................ 28
Conclusion ................................................................................................ 29
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .......................................................................... 30
Overview ................................................................................................... 30
Establishing Environment ......................................................................... 31
Developing Autonomy and Self-Determination ......................................... 32
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Lesson Plans and Implementation ........................................................... 32
Timeline ................................................................................................... 35
CHAPTER 4: CURRICULAR INQUIRY PROJECT ............................................. 36
Curricular Inquiry Project Introduction ..................................................... 36
Lesson Plan One: “Protein Synthesis Activity“ ........................................ 38
Lesson Plan Two: “Strawberry DNA Extraction“ ...................................... 44
Lesson Plan Three: “Understanding DNA Structure“ ............................... 49
Lesson Plan Four: “Genetics and Heritability“ ......................................... 54
Lesson Plan Five: “Genetics and Probability“ .......................................... 58
Lesson Plan Six: “Natural Selection“ ....................................................... 63
Lesson Plan Seven: “Check Theory Lab“ ................................................ 68
Lesson Plan Eight: “Darid Adaptations“ ................................................... 73
Lesson Plan Nine: “Deep Time Lab“ ........................................................ 77
Lesson Plan Ten: “Allele Frequency Lab” ................................................ 81
Analysis of Findings ................................................................................. 85
Conclusion and Recommendations ......................................................... 90
REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 94
VII

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Statement of Intent
In today’s culture, the education community understands that student
motivation, or the activation of goal-orientated behavior, especially in regard to
mastery of subject matter, is a serious issue. The strength of each student’s
motivation to learn has a major impact on determining success within the
classroom. The problem is not only a lack of motivation, but that what motivation
does exist is often misguided. The tremendous amount of distractions available
and sometimes even unavoidable, play a large role in hindering the success of
our students. Important steps must be taken by educators to help curb attention
to these diversionary forces and to refocus our students toward achieving more
than they are currently attaining. It is this author’s belief that with the proper
motivation these struggling students can succeed in the study of biology, and
even master this discipline at a much higher level. Through the implementation of
ten well-planned lessons, the author will use methods gathered from research of
the literature as well as empirical experiences to engage the students and
channel their motivation toward academic achievement. The methods will
include: a positive and safe classroom environment, a high level of teacher
enthusiasm, student-involved grading policies, content relevance to the student,
encouragement toward autonomy in learning, hands-on collaborative activities,
and regular parent communication.
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Rationale
As citizens of an increasingly interconnected country and planet,
individual’s lives and lifestyles do not affect only each other, but have a direct
and quantifiable influence on their surroundings. It is the responsibility, then, of
an individual whose decisions can have a wide-reaching impact on his or her
world to ensure, as best as possible, that these decisions are informed. As
society grows increasingly concerned with the impact of the individual on the
environment, both ecologically and socially, knowledge of biology and the natural
world can only grow in importance.
trend:
Unfortunately, according to many experts, just the opposite is currently the
There appears to be a growing decline of interest for the sciences in the
general population (Osborne, Simon, & Collins, 2003) which is a cause for
great concern. This situation is generalized around the globe where
graduates from mathematics/statistics, computer science, and engineering”
are being produced in rapidly shrinking numbers. (Lavigne, Vallerand &
Miquelon, 2007, p 351)
This decline can be addressed in the classroom if students achieve a better
understanding of how the natural world works and of their place in it through the
study of science. Having a firm grasp of basic science, and especially biology, is
fundamental in producing the complete academic scholar. For most high school
students, biology is a core subject, a necessity for high school graduation, and
their initial access to a mature level of scientific knowledge. It is vital that their
interest be engaged and increased at this crucial stage, and in order for this to
happen, the problem of how to best motivate these students must be confronted.
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Left to flounder, the student disinterest situation will continue to grow.
Although the problem of a lack of motivation may not be new among high
school students, there is evidence that, mirroring the international university
problem cited by Lavigne, et al (2007), the percentage joining this category is
growing. Within the biology classroom this trend is shown in tangible ways by
students not turning in work, not completing assignments during class time and
showing neither concern nor worry about the current state of their lack of
progress. The problem appears to be a case of limited interest, of not
understanding the relevance of biology to their lives and quality of life, and of lack
of motivation toward making an effort to learn. In order to address these
problems, ultimately the underlying causes must be determined and effective
methods of combatting the results dealt with.
It should be noted that one of the reasons the number of the disinterested
has recently expanded is probably due to the increasing number of biology
students who have not traditionally taken this level of science in the past. With
the onset of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the student base required to take
biology has increased, and along with that fact, there has been an increased
failure rate. By requiring students who once would not have considered taking a
science class of this level to study biology, the system inevitably creates a pool of
students who initially feel out of their depth and may respond by giving up. As
educators, methods must be found that allow teachers to get through to these
students and help them develop the confidence to reach for the full
understanding of their world that they deserve to attain.
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The purpose of this project is to utilize research-based techniques that will
address these barriers to motivation, as well as finding ways to more effectively
connect with students, and thereby see greater satisfaction in achievement in the
biology classroom. Through a deeper understanding of the reasons students lack
motivation, as well as the creation of a warm and inviting environment and
numerous hands-on learning experiences in the form of laboratory experiments,
this author hopes to engage students in the learning process through increased
motivation. The old adage of “never smiling until Christmas” is not a technique
that is very profitable with the type of student currently attending high schools in
America today. These students require more personal attention, what Martinez
calls “personalization” (Martinez, 2009, p 74). They need to know that their
teacher cares about their well being. By making these important emotional
connections with students, this author believes that the students will show more
interest in biology, begin to value its importance in their education, and find
increased success.
Teachers play a vital role in the students’ motivation as they move up and
through the educational system (Hardre, Davis & Sullivan, 2008) by tapping into
techniques and methods that foster student autonomy, self-determination, and
intrinsic motivation (Lavigne, et al,2007;Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems & Holbein,
2005). It is the purpose of this project to examine the implementation of
innovative teaching methods, to foster more effective parent communication, and
to promote greater student participation and self-determination; in order to
improve content mastery in biology. Quantitative data will be gathered from
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previous years, where students were taught using traditional teacher centered
methods, and compared to student data compiled using the new methods
outlined in this project.
This project will be beneficial to both the students involved in the project
and educators looking for techniques to improve the motivation within their own
classroom. In order for the purpose of this project to be successful, it is important
to understand the factors involved with a lack of student motivation and how to
address them. In other words, what motivates students to become engaged and
learn, as well as what motivates students to become disengaged? This project
will attempt to stand on the shoulders of those who have done research and
studies in regards to student motivation and call upon those reports to gain a
better understanding of the answers to these research questions.
Research questions:
What are the factors that affect a student’s motivation within the classroom?
What are the teaching methods that would be most beneficial to increasing
student motivation within the classroom?
In order to properly address these questions this project will be relying on
the data already collected by previous research as well as anecdotal evidence
from previous classroom experiences. The data source will be the sophomores
from five sections of biology at a California, Tulare County High School in Visalia
where there is an average of 130 to 140 science students per five sections of
biology per year. The schools’ demographics are predominantly Caucasian and
Hispanic with a small percentage of Black and Asian students. The average class
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size of students is 26 to 27 with seven groups of 4 to 5 students for laboratory
experiments. The collection of data for this project will begin August 2009 and
end February 2010.
This project should prove beneficial to educators not only in the science
classroom but in other disciplines as well. The methods that this project will
execute can be used in most pertinent settings. The science classroom does
have one major advantage over an English or History course in that this
environment lends itself to hands-on activities in the form of laboratory
experiments but that alone does not bar instructors of other disciplines from
gaining from what this project offers. The methods that this project will engage in
are techniques that include providing a positive first day experience, creating a
positive and safe classroom environment, maintaining a high level of teacher
enthusiasm, implementing student-involved grading practices, content relevance,
student autonomy, focused student dialogue, hands-on collaborative activities,
and constant parent communication.
It is this author’s belief that with proper motivation, these struggling
students can learn biology, and at a much higher level than is currently
prevailing.
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CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Introduction
Sparking student enthusiasm in science should be a vital concern for
the entire educational establishment. Without a resurgence of such interest,
educators run the risk as a nation of seeing a declining number of people moving
into one of the most innovative and important parts of American culture and
economy (Hassan, 2008).
To better understand what motivates students, and therefore to develop
ways to use motivational techniques to help students learn, it is important to
understand what influences the decisions they make on a daily basis. According
to Johnson (2008), concentration, interest, and enjoyment are all linked to
determining student engagement. He supports the assumption that the teacher
is a major factor in bringing these experiences forth. It is this project’s premise
that, even though teachers have little to no control over what motivates a student
outside of the classroom (outside of the teacher’s direct influence), what the
teacher can control is what occurs within the classroom. This is known as the
“teacher-problem” and much energy can be wasted by teachers trying to create a
situation where learning is a “student-problem” (Johnson, 2008, p 81). Teachers
must make it their business to understand what motivates their students, and
adjust their style of teaching accordingly.
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Factors that Affect Student Motivation
Timothy L. Seifert (2004) helps teachers understand how to approach
students by analyzing the possible causes that influence student motivation. He
defines motivation in the context of schooling in this way: “a person motivated to
learn may be characterized, in part, as someone who is willing to engage in the
task (eagerness), will persist at a task, and is self-initiating and selfdirecting”(Seifert,
2004, p.1). In order to further explore this topic, he breaks this
down into four main theories: the self-efficacy theory, the attribution theory, the
self-worth theory, and the achievement theory. These concepts are intertwined
and present in all students at different levels, yet it is helpful to analyze and study
them as separate elements so as to better understand how they affect behavior.
The common theme that ties them together is the hope that gaining a deeper
understanding of what is going on with the student’s emotions and the beliefs in
his or her heart that affect attitudes toward the subject will help the teacher to
develop new approaches in a way that ultimately improves motivation and,
hopefully, performance (Seifert, 2004).
Self-Efficacy
The self-efficacy (self-confidence) theory states that performances within
the classroom will be defined by how confident students are in their abilities and
their attitudes toward failure. “Students who are efficacious are more likely to be
self-regulating, strategic and metacognitive than students who do not feel
efficacious”(Seifert, 2004, p 137). One will find those students who do not feel
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themselves to be effective avoiding tasks, which make them feel inadequate.
This should give the teacher an indication as to the student’s possible state of
mind, a red flag that should alert the teacher to a possible problem that should
not be ignored. When students are avoiding tasks, they need to be engaged by
the teacher in ways that reveal just what it is they are shying away from and why,
and in ways that will help build their confidence (Pickens & Eick, 2009).
Attribution Theory
The attribution theory claims that the student will perceive the cause or
explanation of an outcome and define it by a personal characteristic (history of
failure or success), circumstances (those things out of their control), and
comparison to others (Seifert, 2004). Emotions of shame, humiliation, guilt, pride,
satisfaction, and confidence are strongly tied to behavior demonstrated by this
theory. When the student evaluates the attribute that leads to a particular
outcome, he/she weighs it, even if unconsciously, against a fairly sophisticated
set of three thought processes; locus of causality (did the cause come from the
individual?), stability (does this cause ever change?), and controllability (can the
individual effect the outcome?). This leads the student to an internal decision
when it comes to future tasks based off of previous experience. The student must
use past experience and judgment to gauge whether they have the attributes of
success or failure. If the student believes that they have attributes that can
control the cause and therefore the outcome, he or she will engage in the task
with much effort and prepare to encounter the emotions of pride, confidence and
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satisfaction which experience has taught them to strive for. If a student believes
that he or she possess attributes that will lead to failure, that negative perception
will very likely prove true. This results in the student experiencing emotions of
shame, guilt and humiliation. It must follow that the natural instinct will be to
avoid the task altogether.
Self-Worth
The self-worth theory describes the reasons behind the behaviors of the
high achieving student and failure-avoidant student (Seifert, 2004). The first is
attempting to protect self-worth through high levels of achievement, and the
second is avoiding the task for the same reason--maintaining self-worth.
Unfortunately, the failure-avoidant student is likely to fail even here. In attempting
to understand the decisions that these students face every day, the teacher may
find ways to reach these students.
It is the author’s claim that the Western culture attributes performance to
self-worth or value in a person. This view could be the root cause to many
personality and behavioral disorders that are found within the classroom today.
The study makes the correlation between ability, performance and self-worth
leading to the belief that if a student perceives himself/herself as having low
ability, he/she will be less likely to perform well. This will result in spiraling
feelings of low self-worth, one failure leading to another.
Internal assessment leads the failure-avoidant student to make a crucial
decision before every task. If high effort results in low performance every time,
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the student will assume low ability and then have low self-worth which manifests
itself in emotions of shame and humiliation. Such reactions will likely cause the
student to skip that task or any similar task once it is presented in the future, and
therefore find it necessary to only deal with the emotion of guilt (Seifert, 2004).
Achievement Goal
The fourth category from Seifert (2004), achievement goal theory, explains
that student motivation is influenced by the desire to achieve one of two
particular goals, learning orientation or performance orientation. These goals are
diametrically opposed and reveal different mindsets among students.
The learning orientation involves mastery of content and is task oriented in
order to gain knowledge. The student will define success as his or her ability to
perform the task successfully. The student who operates in this way will usually
be positive about his/her own goals and take more responsibility for their own
success.
The performance oriented student is primarily ego driven, focusing on self
as compared to others. These students tend to be failure-avoidant students and
are fear-driven when it comes to doing tasks. They are more focused on how
they are perceived by those around them and tend to attribute success or failure
to fixed elements rather than to variable factors that can be affected by effort on
their part (Seifert, 2004).
The challenge that teachers have with this theory is recognizing which
category a student falls under when working on a task. Teachers need to
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maintain dialogue with all their students in order to better assess what motivates
them and therefore to better understand what methods will be most effective in
helping each one break free of the emotional ties that bind them to a certain
behavior (Johnson, 2008; Pickens & Eick, 2009).
Understanding these theories will give teachers needed insight into what
might be motivating their students--or inhibiting their motivation-- when it comes
to working on tasks. Once a teacher understands the concerns of the students,
he/she will need to develop a plan aimed at getting students engaged. The areas
that need to be addressed are improving student approach and attitude towards
their schoolwork, encouraging positive beliefs about themselves, study skills, and
understanding the relevance of learning (Martin, 2006).
Enjoying School
The motivation level of some students may be determined by whether or
not they enjoy the school situation and their school day. It can be as simple as
whether or not they like their teacher. Studies have found that another factor
may be whether or not the student has had what is considered an enjoyable first
day of school (Wilson & Wilson, 2007). Wilson’s (2007) study shows that when
students have a successful and stress-free first day of school, they are more
likely to be successful and engaged than if they were to have poor experiences
which color their picture of the entire situation. This first experience is also
important for making a lasting impression on the students as to what sort of
teacher they will be dealing with for the rest of the school year. In a project by G.
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Montalvo,Mansfield & Miller, (2007), his colleagues found that students were
motivated to do tasks for particular teachers based on internal purposes or the
positive or negative feelings that had been developed by those first experiences.
When students report liking their teacher, they are more likely to show higher
levels of effort and persistence in class as opposed to students who dislike their
teacher (Montalvo, et al, 2007). This may seem to be pure common sense, but in
fact, it is quite predictive of future attitude and behavior.
Once a negative attitude has been developed toward a teacher, the
outcome will likely be negative as well. There are occasions when the factor
involved in a student refusing to perform a task is the student demonstrating a
passive aggressive behavior toward their teacher. This behavior is usually
displayed by the student refusing to do a task in order to seek revenge on the
teacher for a past perceived wrong. Interestingly enough it is usually the student
who suffers in the long run (Seifert, 2004).
Digital Youth
Another possibility for a lack of student engagement and motivation within
the classroom can be attributed to a learning environment that is neither
conducive to nor coordinated with how the students are used to learning. In a
growing technological culture some students may not think in patterns that
educators are used to growing up in a non-technologically rich culture.
Jukes and Dosaj (2006) puts forth a theory that the neuro-pathways of students
taught today are developed much differently than the way older generations
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pathways developed. In other words, they think differently than past generations
do. Jukes and Dosaj (2006) cite examples of these students growing up and
developing an ability to multitask numerous things at once. It is his contention
that because so often lessons are taught in a linear format these students who
think non-linearly are not motivated to stay on task. He counsels that educators
need to address this concern with the productive use of technology to increase
the avenues of learning content (Jukes, & Dosaj, 2006).
Whether one buys into this theory or not, it is certainly true that modern
teachers need to consider the importance of aligning their methods to the
learning styles of the current crop of students. Young people who have grown up
with cell phones and computers may be especially open to using those same
tools in their learning environment, and may actually feel more comfortable with
them than an older generation might have. A teacher who can implement every
tool available in the contemporary technological arsenal will find rewards in terms
of student interest and motivation.
Parental Influence
Parents play a significant role in the development of the child’s perception
of his or her own cognitive ability. This is obvious and overwhelmingly true in the
early years of life, but parental influence is still very strong in the teen years.
Despite the impact of peer pressure on the teen, as well as the need to pull away
from childhood comforts that often encourage the high school student to take a
temporarily contrarian view to his upbringing, studies have shown that parents
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have a major impact on high school student achievement. (Hoover-Dempsey,
Battiato, Walker, Reed, DeJong, & Jones, 2001; Stefanou, Perencevich, DiCintio,
& Turner, 2004; Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2009; Suizzo & Soon, 2006; Gonzalez,
2002; Gonzalez-DeHass, et al, 2007). Some even claim that most student
perception about their own cognitive ability is a direct reflection of the parents’
perception (Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2009). Disturbingly, awareness of this
phenomenon is not strong among some in present day communities. Many
parents have no sense of how important it is to treat their child’s work and
various statements with respect, how any careless, throw-away comment might
be taken to heart by their child and affect their school and work habits adversely.
This can make the job of the educator much more challenging due to the
years of influence that the parents have had. Of course, the parents have the
right to raise their children according to their own standards, but teachers can
work to increase awareness and improve the situation through communication
via e-mail, letters home, and phone calls. If the parents are kept current with their
children’s progress and understand what subject matter is being covered in
class, they are more likely to be a positive force and a partner in helping their
children learn (Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007).
The Influence of Fear
Fear and anxiety are two crucial factors affecting student tendency to
remain in an unmotivated state within the science classroom (Bernstein-
Yamashiro, 2005.) Many students experience this issue due to preconceptions
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egarding the high level of background knowledge and effort required to complete
a science course. Negative experiences in previous classes where the student
felt as though the subject matter went beyond where he could easily follow may
have fostered this attitude. It will serve the teacher well to be aware of this and to
make an extra effort to prepare the class carefully for the term ahead. Laying the
foundation for the course on simple terms that are familiar to all and gradually
building up to the more difficult concepts can be crucial to keeping the class
engaged and attentive. This works best when the teacher knows that science is
interesting and can be a lot of fun and is able to transmit this sense of excitement
to the students.
Fear is usually a symptom of the unknown. If the teacher is able to
introduce concepts on interesting and approachable terms, the student will be far
more open to accepting them (Hassan, 2008; Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005).
Another sort of fear can develop when the student perceives the instructor
as somewhat unapproachable, or even as cold and uncaring. The teacher should
be aware of this pitfall, especially if it seems that more and more students are
beginning to flounder and show less and less interest in the science being taught.
The instructor should be watching for signs of an inability to connect with
students who may feel this way in order to turn these indications around.
Students want to feel that their teacher cares about them as a person and not
just a student:
Despite the fact that many secondary educators are not convinced that
forming relationships with students has much to do with learning, the author
argues here that teachers cannot attempt to cultivate teenagers' intellects
while leaving behind their emotional development. It is in recognizing and
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especting the inextricable link between the two that teachers can make
considerable academic impact. (Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005, p. 57-58).
Student Autonomy
Another factor this author will deal with affecting student motivation is one
recently gaining more and more attention and interest in academic circles:
student autonomy. The traditional teacher-directed classroom, where the
authority figure commands attention from the front of the room and the students
obediently follow the instructor’s direction, serves a certain purpose, but
generally speaking, should only be one of the many effective methods used by
the creative teacher. Surveys and studies have shown that this style of
instruction can leave the student feeling intimidated, manipulated and out of
touch (November, 2007). Passively listening to lectures, even on interesting
subjects, tends to build a certain sense of helplessness and boredom that can be
death to motivation. Performing assignments and doing assigned readings,
though often necessary, do little to create a sense of individual interest and
ownership of the subject in the student. The sense of connection with the
instructor is often fleeting, and ultimately, absent in most cases.
The implementation of student autonomy attempts to deal with these
problems by encouraging the student to become more self-directed, more heavily
and individually invested in the subject matter, as well as encouraging the
forming of groups of peers so that students can help one another understand
difficult subject matter. In the modern classroom, this may even extend to finding
sources through the internet that present the opportunity to form groups of peers
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that include those in other countries (November, 2007). In all these cases, the
focus changes from the teacher to the learner, with an emphasis on selfdetermination.
The theory of self-determination deals with three “categories of need:
needing a sense of competence, of relatedness to others, and of autonomy ...
Most of the research in self-determination theory focuses on the last of these
three needs” (Anderman & Midgley, 1998, p. 2). This is especially meaningful for
young people as their newly emerging sense of self identity cries out for
recognition. If given the chance, their interest may take wing.
Intrinsically or Extrinsically Driven Motivation
Motivation can be either intrinsically or extrinsically driven (Stefanou, at al,
2004). Though many can exhibit elements of both motivations, or different
motivations at different times, hopefully the instructor will be aware of which way
the child leans and be able to plan methods to encourage the development of
that all-important attribute, self-determination. In her paper regarding persistence
in science education, Lavigne cites a study that “demonstrated that college
students who had higher levels of self-determination at the beginning of the
semester were more likely to complete the semester than those who had lower
levels of self-determined motivation” (Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007), and
that a subsequent study of high school students came to a similar conclusion.
Intrinsically motivated students show a desire to learn for the pleasure of
learning. These students exhibit interest and curiosity, such as those who take
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classes merely for the joy of learning the subject matter. They are known to be
self-motivated and show a high degree of autonomy in their choices. They are
likely to continue studying science, and to achieve mastery of their subjects.
On the other hand, externally motivated students are determined to
succeed based on a reward or external pressure. They range from those who
take the class to fulfill a requirement to those who do so because their parents
made them, despite a complete lack of interest. These students will often be
motivated by grades, teacher praise, parental approval, or prizes. They may also
succeed, but encouraging the development of a more autonomous interest has
been shown to help increase chances of a future in science.
At the bottom of the scale sits the student who does not want to take the
class and sees absolutely no advantage in doing so. No measure of motivation
toward autonomy is likely to lead this student to be self-determined unless the
fundamental attitude is changed (Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007).
Researchers have found that student autonomy is crucial to motivation and
that there are several ways to foster its development:
organizational autonomy support (e.g., allowing students some decisionmaking
role in terms of classroom management issues), procedural
autonomy support (e.g., offering students choices about the use of different
media to present ideas), and cognitive autonomy support (e.g., affording
opportunities for students to evaluate work from a self-referent
standard)…(Stefanou, Perencevich, DiCintio & Turner, 2004, p.97)
Studies show a strong correlation between student levels of self-determination
and the intention of continuing with science education. In other words, those who
take hold of their own subject matter and do well are more likely to consider
becoming scientists, or at least studying more science in their future educational
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plans (Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon. 2007).
Teaching Methods Beneficial to Motivating Students
The goal is to encourage a growing motivation in students for the
successful study and mastery of biology. The methods will include: creating of a
safe and appealing learning environment, encouraging healthy teacher-student
relationships that build trust and support, encouragement of helpful parent
communication and involvement, and the fostering of increasingly selfdetermined
student autonomy. The following section of this report will discuss the
methods found through research that are deemed necessary to improve student
motivation within the biology classroom environment.
Establishing the Setting
Think of the classroom as the setting of a novel, or the stage for a play.
The writer works hard to set the scene and create the ambiance necessary to
bring about the story he or she has in mind. A horror story needs a haunted
house or a bayou with moss-draped trees. A romance ups the heart rate with
silky moonlight and sensual music playing in the background. A thriller will set off
the tension with a cold, staccato sense of the city, or a grim waterfront with inky
black water. Just as the writer uses setting and scenery to establish a mood, so
will the instructor give off clues to his/her new, incoming class as to what they
expects of them, and what they can expect from him or her, by the atmosphere
he or she creates right from the beginning.
20

How a teacher performs on the first day of class can, in some instances,
define whether or not some students will be motivated to succeed for the
remainder of the course (Grubaugh & Houston, 1990; Wilson & Wilson, 2007).
Establishing an environment of learning begins from the moment your students
walk in the door (Wanzer, Frymier, & Irwin, 2010). The design of a classroom will
often dictate the attitude that a teacher’s students will have towards the subject.
Creating an environment of learning is crucial to increasing student motivation
(Grubaugh & Houston, 1990). Research published by various scholars reveals
that the following methods can be used to establish the desired environment:
humor, music, classroom décor, and teacher behavior (Grubaugh & Houston,
1990; Hallam & Price, 1998; Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005; Wanzer, Frymier, &
Irwin, 2010; Hardre, Davis, & Sullivan, 2008; Kuh, 2007; Régner, Loose, &
Dumas, 2009).
Humor
The use of humor has long been known to create a relaxed environment in
the short run, but can also be used to establish a sense of light-hearted interest
between teacher and student in a way that might affect the entire school year
(Wanzer, Frymier, & Irwin, 2010). The key resides in using the right amount and
quality of humor. Overuse of humor can become annoying or overbearing.
Cracking jokes when students are asking important questions is seldom helpful.
Knowing when to get serious is a talent the teacher should develop for
himself/herself.
21

The category of humor used is also important. Humor can be used as
either adaptive (positive and supportive of healthy relationships) or maladaptive
(negative and destructive of feelings of self-worth). Adaptive humor helps to
make connections between the teacher and students as well as create a prosocial
environment (Wanzer, Frymier, & Irwin, 2010). The use of maladaptive
humor is not beneficial in the long run because it is demeaning and harmful.
Sarcasm may make most students laugh for a short while but will not foster a
healthy safe environment in the long run. Though the class may laugh when the
joke is made, feelings of discomfort and unease will accompany the laughter and
those are the very things that linger. The student may worry, even if
unconsciously, that he may be the butt of the humor soon if such a tone
continues. Such an atmosphere is bound to be destructive. But if the instructor
can engage his/her students with positive humor, comments that find affectionate
laughter in everyday human foibles, and resist the temptation to pick on the
oddball or the person who has an uncertain connection to daily life, the chances
of increased motivation developing in the classroom are high.
Playing Music
Hallam and J. Price (1998) claim that playing calm music has been found
to be beneficial to promoting student engagement and learning. In their study on
music’s affect on emotional and behaviorally challenged students creates a
certain mood, so if the right type of music is played in the background a teacher
can establish a relaxing environment where students look forward to coming to
22

class. Calm, soothing music without lyrics is found to be the most beneficial
(Wanzer, Frymier, & Irwin, 2010).
Classroom Decor
If the classroom is clean, organized with classroom rules and biological
visuals on the walls the students will understand what type of learning
environment they are entering. Much of the communication that students receive
from the teachers is not all verbal (Grubaugh & Houston, 1990). The classroom
must be warm and inviting (Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005), allowing the students to
feel safe and significant. The student must feel as though they are viewed as a
person and not troublesome (Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005). Teacher student
relationships are vital to motivation in general.
Gaining Student Trust
The use of humor, music, and the setting of an atmosphere conducive to
learning are all helpful. But more important than all of these is the attitude of the
teacher and his/her ability to form strong, trusting relationships with his/her
students.
To the tentative student, especially one who has not experienced much
success in science before, walking into the biology classroom must feel like
students felt walking into the Harvard Law class of Professor Kingsfield in the
movie, “The Paper Chase.” The professor is a remote, authoritarian figure,
looking down on the student and seemingly more interested detecting mistakes
23

to lay out for all to see than in nurturing a fledgling scholar.
That may be valuable for law students preparing to enter the fray, but why
should an unsure high school student have to run that gauntlet? The answer, of
course, is that he should not have to. Our whole purpose is to open the doors to
the world of science to every student and invite them in, not scare them away.
And to that end, the relationship between the teacher and the student is allimportant.
What a teacher does, how his/her behaviors and attitudes come across to
the student, directly influences how that student performs within the classroom
(Hardre, Davis, & Sullivan, 2008). The goal of every teacher should be to gain
the student’s trust. Once students believe that the teacher has their best interest
at heart, they will be more likely to work for and with the teacher (Pickens & Eick,
2009).
Many students walk into a classroom struggling with fears and anxieties.
They have heard science is hard. They have heard that if you do not catch on
right away, you will fall behind and then you will be sunk. They remember feeling
like a failure in science class before. They do not really want to be there.
But the teacher has a nice, welcoming smile. He or she says something
friendly, maybe reminds the student where they have met before, or knows a
relative. The student slips into a seat and waits to see what this is going to be
like. The teacher calls the class to order and introduces himself. Going around
the room, he/she makes sure everyone is acknowledged and asks each in turn
for some bit of personal information that helps tie the class together. Maybe
24

he/she asks for a few who are nervous to tell the class what they are thinking this
is going to be like. Through gentle humor and a sense of understanding, the
teacher can make the students feel that maybe this is not going to be so bad. If
things go really well and the students actually begin to feel at home, the teacher
should feel extremely successful.
The key is for the teacher to keep the different aspects of motivational
theory--the self-efficacy theory, the attribution theory, the self-worth theory, and
the achievement theory--in mind and understand the levels of anxiety the student
may be dealing with, in order to confront and allay the fears of his students
accordingly. If a teacher can approach the students with this in mind, the author
believes--and surveys have shown--that the teacher will have more
understanding and patience with the students (Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005). This
will allow the students to develop a sense of trust in their teachers. Many of the
lesson plans included by this author are meant to do just that.
Another crucial benefit that students can gain from developing
relationships with their teachers is that they can learn from the teacher’s wisdom
and experience. Bernstein-Yamashiro (2005) writes that through certain life
experiences that can be shared with students, the teacher can help encourage
and provide guidance to their students (Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005).If these
relationships are not pursued, not only does the student miss out on a wider
sense of the world and what is available to him or her, but also the teacher
neglects the enrichment to his own life and experience. Often the student may
belong to a different cultural background or national tradition. Establishing a
25

elationship with the student, and perhaps the family as well can open new vistas
that the teacher would benefit from exploring.
Once a teacher has created a certain level of trust, the conversations can
move on to areas that are more substantive (Kuh, 2007). Through give and take,
students will feel that their opinions are being heard and that they are having
more of a say in the course of their education (Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005;
Stefanou, et al, 2004; Gonzalez, 2002). At the same time, the educator can help
the students understand or find relevance in what they are learning (Pickens &
Eick, 2009). Pickens describes how one teacher was able to draw upon his
student’s culture and experiences to make a metaphor that they would
understand and appreciate, once again reinforcing the importance of teacherstudent
dialogue (Johnson, 2008; Pickens & Eick, 2009). If that connection can
be made through the use of metaphor that speaks right to the child’s experience,
then there is a higher chance that student engagement will increase. By
engaging the students more directly in “one on one” situations, the teacher also
creates the opportunity to show students that he or she cares, which will in turn
help students gain confidence in their own abilities, improve writing skills with
direct feedback, and improve personable skills (Pickens & Eick, 2009; Jukes &
Dosaj, 2006).
The influence of the teacher on the attitude of the student cannot be
emphasized too strongly. For good or ill, the teacher’s approach to the student
has a major impact and must be carefully re-evaluated many times during the
school year.
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Student Autonomy
As the instructor works to draw the student into the realm of science
interest and learning, he/she must always be aware that the ultimate goal is to
develop in this person the value of self-determination. It is crucial that a sense of
student empowerment be fostered, and through it a developing autonomy
(Stefanou, at al 2004; Gonzalez, 2002; Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007).
As students develop confidence and are allowed to have more of a say in their
studies--through decisions including which task they would like to complete and
in what order, as well as the time needed to complete tasks and other
management issues, they grow to feel that they have more of a say in their
education. Teachers might even allow their students to decide the due dates of
their assignments within certain perimeters. The student soon feels more
ownership of what is going on in the school experience, and hopefully, begins to
take control of a sense of learning and accomplishment. All of these things are
important to increasing student engagement (Smyth, 2006). The key is to
encourage students to grow by having more of a choice in their education
(Stefanou, at al, 2004).
According to Stefanou, Perencevich, DiCintio, and Turner (2004) there are
three types of student autonomies: organizational, procedural, and cognitive with
cognitive believed to be the most genuine form of developing a healthy selfdetermination
(Stefanou, et al, 2004). Organizational autonomy allows the
students to choose their partners to work with on assignments or laboratory
experiments and decide upon due dates for assignments. Procedural autonomy
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is the process where students are allowed and encouraged to pick the materials
needed for the lesson. Cognitive autonomy is where the students are allowed to
discuss their thought process and views on topics in biology. When the right
questions are encouraged by the teacher, the students can be lead to focus on
their own thought processes and gain a better understanding of the concepts
being discussed (Stefanou, et al, 2004).
Parental Involvement
Finally, parental involvement needs to be encouraged by the teachers.
Many of the articles researched herein show that one of the strongest
correlations to student motivation, engagement, and success is linked to the level
and quality of parental involvement in their children’s lives (Lavigne, Vallerand, &
Miquelon, 2007; Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, & Holbein, 2005; Régner, Loose, &
Dumas, 2009; Gonzalez, 2002; Suizzo & Soon, 2006; Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2009;
Hoover-Dempsey, et al, 2001). When parents spend time with their children and
get involved in their studies, they tend to have a more direct influence in their
children’s self-perception of educational success (Hoover-Dempsey, et al, 2001;
Stefanou, et al, 2004; Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2009; Suizzo & Soon, 2006;
Gonzalez, 2002; Régner, Loose, & Dumas, 2009; Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, &
Holbein, 2005; Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007). This also allows the
parents to reinforce desired behavior from their children and influence their
attitudes about learning (Hoover-Dempsey, et al, 2001).
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If a teacher maintains constant contact with parents there is a higher
chance that the students in the teacher’s classroom will be more motivated
(Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, & Holbein, 2005). By providing the parents with tips
and suggestions in ways to help their children, teachers will empower the parents
to equip their children to have a better self-perception about their abilities to deal
with learning (Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2009; Suizzo & Soon, 2006).
Conclusion
If these methods are practiced in the classroom and in designing
curriculum, there is a good chance that student motivation and engagement will
increase. The teacher attempting these methods will always have to keep in mind
that there will be setbacks. This happens with any process. But hopefully, if they
push ahead and persevere, they will eventually find success by keeping the goal
in mind that not only will their students benefit from this effort to improve student
motivation, but so will their entire community.
29

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Overview
In the modern high school, a significant number of students struggle with
motivation within the biology classroom. It is the author’s purpose to identify the
causes behind this obstacle to learning in order to help students develop skills
that will eventually lead them to the use of self-determination and student
autonomy, and ultimately into the realm of success in biology. The author
proposes to examine through action research the areas that students struggle
with, such as discomfort in the classroom, a lack of connection with the
instructor, feelings of failure and lack of self-worth, the effect of intrinsic and
extrinsic motivators, personal connections, and comfort in the scientific
environment. All these elements have been identified through research of the
literature, as included herein, and through empirical classroom experience
observed by the author.
The data source will be the sophomores from five sections of Biology at a
California, Tulare County High School in Visalia where there is an average of 130
to 140 science students per five sections of Biology per year. The school’s
demographic is predominantly Caucasian and Hispanic with a small percentage
of Black and Asian students. The average class size is 26 to 27 with seven
groups of 4 to 5 students for laboratory experiments. The collection of data for
this project began August 2009 and ended February 2010.
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Establishing Environment
An environment is created early on within the classroom where the
development of the relationship between student and teacher is vital (Grubaugh
& Houston, 1990). Methods of creating that environment will involve discipline,
music, humor, accountability, and connections. Students will be greeted at the
door everyday by the teacher with a hand shake or fist bump. This is important
for creating connections with the students from the first moment that they meet
the teacher. According to Bernstein-Yamashiro (2005), teacher connections can
inspire students to perform.. Music will be played at adequate levels at almost all
times within the classroom. The intent is to create a relaxing and inviting
environment for the students. Music is well known for establishing mood and has
been linked to memory retention (Hallam & Price, 1998). During instructional time
and assessments, instrumental music will be played to limit unnecessary
distraction. During laboratory time contemporary music will be played as
background music. A questionnaire will be administered at the beginning of the
semester to help create a relaxed environment within the classroom. All
questions will be the same for all students, though a mandatory response will not
always be necessary. This activity is informal and discussed in class. Students
are encouraged to volunteer their own information in an attempt to create
connections.
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Developing Autonomy and Self-Determination
The fostering of autonomy and self-determination among the students is a
major goal of this project. Situations need to be set in place that will provide
them with the opportunity to grow in confidence and the ability to make decisions
about their own work. The science laboratory classroom is an ideal platform upon
which to create that sort of environment. Through the use of the scientific method
students will be placed into situations where they will have to develop decision
making skills. Hopefully, the more they use their own judgments and make their
own decisions, the more their self confidence will develop and the closer they will
come to the sense of self-determination needed to let them become autonomous
students in their own right.
The use of updated and current parent communication will also help
students to be more intrinsically motivated (Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, &
Holbein, 2005; Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007). With increased parental
support the purpose of this project is more likely to be achieved.
Lesson Plans and Implementation
There will be ten lesson plans used to implement student motivation within
this project. The lesson plans covered two units of Biology, genetics and
evolution. Due to the nature of the course content, the lessons took the form of
laboratory experiments. This provided ample opportunity for the students to be
actively involved in the class. During each laboratory experiment students were
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assigned specific duties to perform during the activity. For example, the shortest
person in the group obtained the laboratory supplies, the person with longest
name performed the experiment, the person with the longest hair recorded the
data, and the person left over would clean up the lab. This incorporated the
method of humor in the process of selecting students to perform tasks within the
experiment, helping to attract and interest students as well as providing an
element of connection that helped each student bond with the teacher (Wanzer,
Frymier, & Irwin, 2010).
The first unit on genetics project will consist of four laboratory
experiments, DNA extraction lab (single day experiment), DNA modeling activity
(single day experiment), protein synthesis activity (single day experiment), and
make a face lab (two day experiment). Each laboratory experiment consists of
data collection and analysis with every student’s participation. Each student
turned in assessments in the form a laboratory reports summarizing the
experiment, recorded data, and explanations of student results and experiences.
These reports will be collected and analyzed to show student learning through
the course of the project. These reports will be compared to similar reports of
students from previous years. These scores will be recorded in an excel program
written specifically for recording and reporting grades for sophomores in Biology.
These reports are updated and posted weekly within the classroom.
The second session of this project will consist of the evolution section
which consisted of six laboratory experiments, a probability lab (single day
experiment), a natural selection lab (single day experiment), an evolution theory
33

check lab (single day experiment), a darid lab (two day experiment), a deep time
lab (two day experiment), and an allele frequency lab (single day experiment).
Each laboratory experiment consists of data collection and analysis with every
student’s participation. Each student turned in assessments in the form a
laboratory reports summarizing the experiment, recorded data, and explanations
of student results and experiences. These reports will be collected and analyzed
to show student learning through the course of the project. These reports will be
compared to previous reports of students from previous years and the scores will
be recorded in an excel program written specifically for recording and reporting
grades for sophomores in Biology. These grade reports are updated and posted
weekly within the classroom.
This is a qualitative research project where the quality of instruction and
facilitation will be examined and measured to see if the methods put in place are
practical and beneficial. The primary method of measurement of student
improvement in motivation and engagement will be through teacher observations
and comparative scores with previous years where these teaching methods
where not in place. The sources of data for collection will be class average
scores compared to previous scores in the past. These scores will include
average overall class grade, benchmarks scores, unit test scores, lab report
scores, and individual task scores. The number of students that are engaged and
completing or not completing tasks will be recorded and this data will be
analyzed and monitored on a monthly basis to look for improvement. Attendance
will also be recorded as a source of information to be analyzed for student
34

motivation to come to class. Teacher observations will be a primary source of
analysis as to the benefits of the adopted teaching methods.
The teacher from day one will incorporate a very enthusiastic attitude and
approach to teaching Biology. This should help set the tone for how the students
should approach the course (Pickens & Eick, 2009). The lesson plan for day one
will include an activity and demonstration to help peak student interest. The
teacher will stay on pace with the department curriculum map but augment the
lessons by instituting more hands-on experiential learning, dialogue, and teacherstudent
one-on-one confidence building.
Timeline
August 13, 2009–First day of school.
-Student questionnaire is distributed.
August 2009- November 2009
-Unit on genetics will be covered through benchmarks, laboratory
experiments, and reports.
December 2009- February 2010
-Unit on evolution will be covered through benchmarks, laboratory
experiments, and reports.
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CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA
Curricular Inquiry Project
The goal of this curricular inquiry project is to examine strategies for motivating
the highest number of students to become involved in the learning process. The
content that will be learned is genetics and evolution. It is this author’s intent that all
students will learn the California state standards of Biology taught through the ten
lesson plans included in this project. The lesson plans provide a high level of
interaction between the students and teacher which will accomplish the goal of this
project; the motivation of students through the development of student autonomy and
the strong influence and personal connection made between students and teacher.
Limitations to achieving this goal will be the high level of absenteeism and
students not turning in reports. This will provide a challenge to accurately assessing
their growth in learning biology. Another factor that will put limitations on the success in
this project will be the constraint of time. Some lessons take longer than others to
complete and this will reduce the amount of summary discussion amongst the students
and teacher. Many to all of these laboratory reports will be completed as homework
and this will be another limitation due to the lack of direct influence that the teacher
could have on the students.
Parental involvement is crucial to student success (Hoover-Dempsey, 2001) and
a significant factor in student failure is an absence of that parental influence. An
attempt will be made by the author to increase the avenues of communication between
36

the teacher and parents. Through emails, phone calls, letters sent home, and a teacher
website, parents will be provided with information that will help them stay informed and
up to date on what is going on within their child’s biology classroom. Gonzalez-
DeHass, Willems, and Holbein found that “children’s intrinsic motivation is more
positive when parents receive weekly communications from the teacher and when
children see their parents more involved in their education” (2005, p 111). Prompt
communication with parents will be a vital element in increasing students’ motivation in
learning biology.
To conclude, the following lessons are uniquely designed to address the issue of
student motivation and the teacher’s role in creating a learning environment that will
personalize the learning to yield student success. These lesson plans are based on the
California State standards. They are hands-on kinesthetic in nature and the
experiments provide a positive environment to support high levels of achievement.
37

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers Protein Synthesis)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts involved in genetics and its role in the formation of protein
through the process of protein synthesis. Students will be engaged in a
hands-on activity to help them better understand the processes involved in
protein synthesis.
2. Rationale
• 4. Genes are a set of instructions encoded in the DNA sequence of
each organism that specify the sequence of amino acids in proteins
characteristic of that organism. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
o a. Students know the general pathway by which ribosomes
synthesize proteins, using tRNAs to translate genetic
information in mRNA.
o b. Students know how to apply the genetic coding rules to
predict the sequence of amino acids from a sequence of codons
in RNA.
o d. Students know specialization of cells in multicellular
organisms is usually due to different patterns of gene
expression rather than to differences of the genes themselves.
o e. Students know proteins can differ from one another in the
number and sequence of amino acids.
• CS 5. The genetic composition of cells can be altered by incorporation
of exogenous DNA into the cells. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
o a. Students know the general structures and functions of DNA,
RNA, and protein.
o b. Students know how to apply base-pairing rules to explain
precise copying of DNA during semi-conservative replication
and transcription of information from DNA into mRNA.
38

• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• The discovery method by coding DNA into sentences will increase
interest in the subject.
• Students will learn how to make decisions on which would be the best
technique to solve the coding process.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic nature of this activity will provide a means by
which my special needs students can be engaged. The nature in which
this activity is performed allows the students a good amount of
movement around the classroom; which will stimulate my students to
learn.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. This
allows my students to delegate the workload were one partner codes
the DNA into RNA and the other partner searches around the
classroom to find RNA code that matches.
• Product: The product should reveal the accurate sentences coded
from the DNA. This activity will also teach my students the importance
of teamwork and responsibility.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of activity directions, answer key with the twenty
sentences that students are to discover.
• Student Use: Paper and pen or pencil, twenty 3x5 cards with DNA
codes, tRNA code cards taped up around the classroom with words on
the backside.
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students will have to code DNA strands into RNA strands to show
level of understanding of Chargaff’s Rules; stating that all adenines
will equal uracils and all guanines will equal cytosines.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students understanding will be monitored by spot checks on their
coding through out the activity. The teacher will be moving amongst
the students and assisting them in their understanding.
• Summative (relate to intent)
Forming complete sentences at the end of the coding process will
be the student’s assessment. With the humor incorporated into
39

6. References
some of the sentences students will be engaged to see what the
coding will result with in the next sentence.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
3. http://vusd-
2.visalia.k12.ca.us/eldiamante/science/biology/biopdfs/Lab_Prot
ein_Synthesis.pdf
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(5 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
Today’s lesson will give help you get a better understanding of the
process of protein synthesis by hands on experience. Imagine that
this classroom is a eukaryotic cell and located at my lab table are
twenty strands of DNA code (written on 3x5 cards). What then does
my lab table represent (students should respond, “Nucleus”)? Does
DNA ever leave the nucleus (students should respond “NO”)? Then
will these cards ever leave my desk (students should respond,
“NO”)? Once you have copied your DNA code you must now
transcribe (vocabulary term) it into mRNA code. Once you have
completed that task you must translate (vocabulary term) it into
tRNA code. Once you have completed this task you must find the
tRNA codes placed all throughout the classroom. (There will be
sixty-four cards with tRNA codes written on the front side and
words written on the backside.) Once you find the appropriate code,
turn it over and copy down the word found there. Once you have
found your codes you should have a complete sentence written
down. For example a DNA code of ATACGATGA could give you
the sentence “Biology is fun”.
40

(10 min.) Checking for understanding
Before students begin the activity the teacher will list three strands
of DNA code on the white board and instruct the students to
transcribe it into mRNA code. The teacher will then walk amongst
the students to check for understanding. Once it seems that there is
understanding the teacher will instruct the students to translate it
into tRNA code. The teacher will then walk amongst the students
checking for understanding. Once it appears the class understands
the process they will then be assigned partners to begin the activity.
(86 min.) Learning activities sequence (use bullets for clarity)
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Presentation of activity (5 min.)
• Checking for understanding: students will be given problems to
solve to assess level of understanding (10 min.)
• Students will approach lab table (“Nucleus”) and copy down
DNA code. They will then meet with partner to begin the coding
process. They will then search the room looking for the
appropriate codes that match what they have copied. Once a
sentence is complete they bring it to the teacher to get and
initial by the sentence if it is correct. (86 min.)
(2 min.) Closure
Students turn in work with completed sentences and initials. The
class then has a discussion reviewing the important concepts that
were learned and why this activity was important in bringing about
more understanding.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?:
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
41

Reflection
The strategies used for this lesson plan were successful in creating a
comfortable learning environment. The teacher used music and a greeting at the
door to help establish a good report with the students. Due to the recent increase
of swine flu cases in the central valley the teacher opted to forgo the usual hand
shake and initial a fist bump with his students. The positive reaction was
immediate. The students came into class with a smile and seemed to enjoy being
greeted at the door. It is the author’s belief that this greeting at the door enables
the students to feel recognized for at least a moment during the day. They get to
be recognized and greeted as a person. Something that is very important for
anyone.
The strategies of greeting students at the door is on that appears to be
invaluable to classroom management. It allows the teacher to make personal
connections, if not briefly, with every one of the teachers students. As for
classroom management it allows the instructor to take roll in a much timelier
manner. The playing of music during the lesson creates a visibly relaxed
environment. Students are smiling often and socializing with their neighbors. The
playing of music also opened up the opportunity for conversation with many of
the teachers students. They should interest in the music and desired to know
more of the teacher’s tastes.
42

In an attempt to foster autonomy and motivation intrinsically the teacher
allowed the students choose their own strategy for solving the activity of coding
DNA into proteins. The formation of autonomy and intrinsic motivation was not
clearly assessed or achieved during this activity. The teacher instructed the
students at the beginning of the activity that the partners in this lab would need to
come to a decision as to the best possible solution to the twenty DNA codes. The
students were allowed to approach the problem from any angle that seemed to
work for them. Although the teacher had his opinions of the best methodology to
solving the problems he remained silent and only helped students with the
correction of mistakes.
The students appeared to be actively engaged and showed a strong
capability for coding DNA into proteins. There were two students that struggled
with the activity but the class as a whole appeared to do an adequate job in
solving eh lab. The standards for this lesson where met with satisfactory marks.
The author is going to make sure that he is more involved around the
classroom during instructional time. For this lesson the instructor spent the
majority of his time at his desk. So it was too easy for some students to get off
track and distracted. Most students with questions came to the teacher yet the
teacher was not actively seeking out those that needed help. The teacher is
going to devote more time to walking among his class as opposed to passively
waiting for the students to come to him. The teacher will also make an attempt to
remember the students that were absent and welcome them back.
43

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers DNA Extraction)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts involved in genetics and the structure of DNA. Students will be
engaged in a hand on laboratory experiment to help them better
understand what DNA is by extracting it from strawberries.
2. Rationale
• 4. Genes are a set of instructions encoded in the DNA sequence of
each organism that specify the sequence of amino acids in proteins
characteristic of that organism. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
o d. Students know specialization of cells in multicellular
organisms is usually due to different patterns of gene
expression rather than to differences of the genes themselves.
• CS 5. The genetic composition of cells can be altered by incorporation
of exogenous DNA into the cells. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
o a. Students know the general structures and functions of DNA,
RNA, and protein.
o b. Students know how to apply base-pairing rules to explain
precise copying of DNA during semi-conservative replication
and transcription of information from DNA into mRNA.
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• The discovery method by extracting DNA from strawberries will
increase interest in the subject.
• Students will learn how to make decisions on which would be the best
technique to solve the coding process.
44

3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic nature of this activity will provide a means by
which my special needs students can be engaged. The nature in which
this activity is performed allows the students a good amount of
movement around the classroom; which will stimulate my students to
learn.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be working in groups of four and every student is
assigned a job to do. The visual aspect of this experiment will help give
the students a good perspective of what DNA is.
• Product: The product should reveal an accurate drawing of what the
DNA looks like with a written report stating the important concepts
covered in this experiment.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure
• Student Use: Paper and pen or pencil, laboratory procedure, text book
McDougal Littell, strawberry, salt, detergent, cold rubbing alcohol, two
plastic cups, coffee filter paper, test tubes, and water.
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students and teacher will have a discussion about their own
experience with DNA. Inquiries will be made to their understanding
of where DNA can be found and to the size of DNA.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding.
• Summative (relate to intent)
6. References
Student’s laboratory reports should have a detailed, labeled
drawing of the DNA structures and a descriptive abstract
summarizing what they learned from the laboratory experiment.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
3. http://vusd-
2.visalia.k12.ca.us/eldiamante/science/biology/biopdfs/Lab_D
NA_Extraction.pdf
45

Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(10 min.) Checking for understanding
The teacher and students will have a discussion about their own
experience with DNA. The discussion will help to bring forth what
their level of understanding is in regards to DNA.
(10 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
Today’s laboratory experiment will help you gain a new perspective
and respect for DNA and its structure. Our goal should be to literally
see DNA with our naked eye and have a better appreciation for
how fragile the molecule is. If you do not create the right mixture
then your DNA molecule will fall apart. Each group will take the
materials in front of them and go through the appropriate steps to
remove DNA from strawberries. Everybody should gain from the
discipline it will take to patiently extract the DNA and not rush the
experiment.
(81 min.) Learning activities sequence
(2 min.) Closure
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Checking for understanding (10 min.)
• Presentation of activity (10 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of extracting DNA from strawberry
solution and record their results. (81 min.)
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the experiment. They then turn in their
written reports.
46

Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
The strategies used for this lesson involved creating a safe environment
and engaging the students in conversation. The teacher greeted the students at
the door with a fist bump and a welcome. The students usually greeted the
teacher with a smile and a “hello” in response. The teacher used this opportunity
to welcome back, in particular, students that were absent the previous day. The
teacher noticed a visible positive difference in the student’s demeanor when the
teacher remembered that they were absent.
Upon the commencement of the lesson the teacher took a few minutes to
converse with his students as to how their weekend went and if anyone had
anything new to share. The students appeared to become more alert during and
after this short conversation. The author believes that investing a short amount of
time in the lives and interests of his students through this dialogue paid off with
more students engaged in the lesson. The teacher transitioned the conversation
into a discussion about DNA and its importance to everyday life. Since the
students were in the mood for talking due to the earlier conversation there was a
high amount of input and contribution from the class on the topic.
47

The students showed that they have a better understanding of what
DNA is and where DNA can be found. Through the laboratory reports that the
students turned in they were able sketch the DNA and show understanding
through their summary of what they learned. The students meet the standards
being taught in this lesson.
The teacher will focus on fostering more autonomy among his students by
allowing them to dictate when they can turn the lab reports in and engaging them
in a discussion about what they learned and its importance. The teacher
assigned the due date and time of turning the reports in. There was little room for
the students to dictate the steps of the experiment due to the nature of the lab.
The will also plan the type of music that will be played at certain times during the
class period.
48

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers DNA structure)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts involved in genetics and the structure of DNA. Students will be
engaged in a hand on activity to help them better understand the structure
of DNA by building it with candy.
2. Rationale
• CS 4. Genes are a set of instructions encoded in the DNA sequence of
each organism that specify the sequence of amino acids in proteins
characteristic of that organism. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
o a. Students know the general pathway by which ribosomes
synthesize proteins, using tRNAs to translate genetic
information in mRNA.
o b. Students know how to apply the genetic coding rules to
predict the sequence of amino acids from a sequence of codons
in RNA.
o d. Students know specialization of cells in multicellular
organisms is usually due to different patterns of gene
expression rather than to differences of the genes themselves.
o e. Students know proteins can differ from one another in the
number and sequence of amino acids.
• CS 5. The genetic composition of cells can be altered by incorporation
of exogenous DNA into the cells. As a basis for understanding this
concept:
o a. Students know the general structures and functions of DNA,
RNA, and protein.
o b. Students know how to apply base-pairing rules to explain
precise copying of DNA during semi-conservative replication
and transcription of information from DNA into mRNA.
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
49

• The discovery method of building DNA structures out of candy will
increase interest in the subject.
• Students will learn how to make decisions on which would be the best
technique to solve the coding process.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic nature of this activity will provide a means by
which my special needs students can be engaged. The nature in which
this activity is performed allows the students a good amount of
movement around the classroom; which will stimulate my students to
learn.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be working in groups of four and every student is
assigned a job to do. The visual aspect of this experiment will help give
the students a good perspective of what DNA is.
• Product: The product should reveal an accurate module of what the
DNA molecule’s structure looks like built from the candy provided.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of activity procedure
• Student Use: Paper towel, four different colored Starburst candies
(time three), liquorices, small marshmallows, toothpicks, rubber gloves,
text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students and teacher will have a discussion about their own
experience with DNA. Inquiries will be made to their understanding
of what the structure of DNA consists of and how could it be made
with the materials provided.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding and giving suggestions as to what candy could
be used to represent certain parts of the DNA molecule.
• Summative (relate to intent)
Students will need to show the teacher a completed DNA molecule
in a double helix structure with the candy properly used. Once this
has been achieved the structure can then be consumed.
50

6. References
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(20 min.) Content and summary
Students will be allotted time to take notes on the content directly
from the text. At the conclusion of this time the teacher will
summarize what was to be learned.
(5 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
Your activity today involves gaining a better understanding of what
the DNA molecular structure consists of. Using only Starburst,
liquorices, marshmallows, and toothpicks you need to build a DNA
model in the form of a double helix. All of the candy is before you
but you must decide as a group which candy will represent which
part of the DNA molecule. Please use the text book as a reference.
(76 min.) Learning activities sequence
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Content and summary (20 min.)
• Presentation of activity (5 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of building the DNA molecule with
the candy materials. (76 min.)
51

(2 min.) Closure
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes after You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
The strategies of engaging the students and developing a healthy report
worked well for this lesson even though the teacher was not able to greet all of
his students at the door. In the process of preparing for the days lesson the
teacher was running behind and was not available to greet his students at the
door. What was humorous was that there were a small number of students that
would not come into the classroom unless the teacher was at the door to greet
them. It appears that the students have come to expect and almost look forward
to being greeted each class period.
Another strategy that helped set the tone for the learning atmosphere was
the playing of music in the background. When the students were walking into the
class and engaged in the activity the teacher played reggae music, Bob Marley to
be specific, which helped the students to converse and appear relaxed. When
the teacher was engaged in dialogue with students in the warm-up activity and
explanation of the day’s lesson the music was switched to instrumental music
52

with no lyrics. This provided a mood where the attention was more focused and
the class was quiet unless talking directly with the teacher.
The students also were provided with ample opportunity for autonomy and
self-determination development through the structure of the lesson’s activity. By
the students being given three types of candy and toothpicks and instructed to
form a DNA molecule they were force to plan and come up with the best method
that enable them to complete the task. The teacher did not instruct any students
as to a specific way of completing the task; everything was left up to the student’s
invention. The strategies appeared to be successful in engaging the students in
the learning of biology content.
The students showed that they understood the standards being addressed
by how they completed the task of assembling a model of DNA accurately. The
teacher will focus on making sure that he is present at the door to greet all
students. The teacher will also make more of an effort to contact parents to
update them as to their children’s progress.
53

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers Genetics and heritability)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts involved in genetics and the passing on of traits from one
generation to the next. Students will be engaged in a hands on activity to
help them better understand probability and how offspring receive the
traits of their parents.
2. Rationale
• CS 2. Mutation and sexual reproduction lead to genetic variation in a
population. As a basis for understanding this concept:
o a. Students know meiosis is an early step in sexual reproduction
in which the pairs of chromosomes separate and segregate
randomly during cell division to produce gametes containing one
chromosome of each type.
o b. Students know only certain cells in a multicellular organism
undergo meiosis.
o c. Students know how random chromosome segregation
explains the probability that a particular allele will be in a
gamete.
o d. Students know new combinations of alleles may be
generated in a zygote through the fusion of male and female
gametes (fertilization).
o e. Students know why approximately half of an individual’s DNA
sequence comes from each parent.
o f. Students know the role of chromosomes in determining an
individual’s sex.
o g. Students know how to predict possible combinations of
alleles in a zygote from the genetic makeup of the parents.
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
54

• This laboratory experiment will give the students a better
understanding of the process of two parents sharing genetic
information.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic nature of this activity will provide a means by
which my special needs students can be engaged. The nature in which
this activity is performed allows the students a good amount of
movement around the classroom; which will stimulate my students to
learn.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be paired up with another student. The visual aspect of
this experiment will help give the students a good perspective on the
passing of traits from one generation to the next.
• Product: The product will be a drawing of the features that their
offspring will inherit. They will also turn in a written report summarizing
their results and explaining what they learned from the experiment.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure
• Student Use: Laboratory procedure, two sets of chromosomes,
chromosome trait sheet, Make a face booklet with description of each
feature, blank paper, lined paper, pencil or pen, colored pencils,
scissors, text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students and teacher will have a discussion about their own
experience with understanding where offspring get their traits.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding and giving explanations of what each feature
should look like.
• Summative (relate to intent)
55

6. References
Performance evaluation will be through the written reports and
discussion at the conclusion of the laboratory experiment.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
3. http://vusd-
2.visalia.k12.ca.us/eldiamante/science/biology/biopdfs/Lab_M
ake_Face.pdf
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(10 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
Today’s lesson will give you a better understanding of the process
involved with the formation of new offspring from a given set of
DNA. Every student will pair up, as husband and wife and each
person will have their own sheet of chromosomes. You will cut your
chromosomes out and drop them on your desk. Whichever
chromosomes land facing up is the assigned gene of your child.
After recording all of your child’s data you will then draw what your
child will look like as an adolescent. In your lab report you should
discuss your findings and in your own words explain how it is that
your child received it’s DNA.
(91 min.) Learning activities sequence
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Presentation of activity (10 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of dropping chromosomes to
record the characteristics that their offspring will have. (91 min.)
56

(2 min.) Closure
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
This was a very enjoyable lab for not only the students but the teacher as
well. It was a lesson where the teachable moments were many and the
students grasped the concepts needed to be learned. In this lesson students
were required to partner up and create an offspring using chromosomes cut
out of paper. The hands-on and social atmosphere of this lesson was very
conducive to learning. Many students were overheard proclaiming the
revelation of how features were passed on from parent to offspring. An
interesting point that many students made was their surprise at the probability
involved in passing on traits. This was a successful lesson because the
students were able to make connections to real world experiences through
the activity.
57

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers Genetics and probability)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts involved in genetics and the probability of passing on of traits
from one generation to the next. Students will be engaged in hands on
activity to help them better understand probability and how offspring
receive the traits of their parents.
2. Rationale
• CS 2. Mutation and sexual reproduction lead to genetic variation in a
population. As a basis for understanding this concept:
o a. Students know meiosis is an early step in sexual reproduction
in which the pairs of chromosomes separate and segregate
randomly during cell division to produce gametes containing one
chromosome of each type.
o c. Students know how random chromosome segregation
explains the probability that a particular allele will be in a
gamete.
o d. Students know new combinations of alleles may be
generated in a zygote through the fusion of male and female
gametes (fertilization).
o e. Students know why approximately half of an individual’s DNA
sequence comes from each parent.
o f. Students know the role of chromosomes in determining an
individual’s sex.
o g. Students know how to predict possible combinations of
alleles in a zygote from the genetic makeup of the parents.
• CS 3. A multicellular organism develops from a single zygote, and its
phenotype depends on its genotype, which is established at
fertilization. As a basis for understanding this concept:
o a. Students know how to predict the probable outcome of
phenotypes in a genetic cross from the genotypes of the parents
58

and mode of inheritance (autosomal or X-linked, dominant or
recessive).
o b. Students know the genetic basis for Mendel’s laws of
segregation and independent assortment.
o c. Students know how to predict the probable mode of
inheritance from a pedigree diagram showing phenotypes.
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• This laboratory experiment will give the students a better
understanding of the calculating of the expected outcome of two
parents sharing genetic information.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic nature of this activity will provide a means by
which my special needs students can be engaged. The nature in which
this activity is performed allows the students a good amount of
movement around the classroom; which will stimulate my students to
learn.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be working in groups of four and every student is
assigned a job to do. The visual aspect of this experiment will help give
the students a good perspective of the chance involved in passing on
genetics.
• Product: The product will be a detailed report summarizing their
results and explaining what they learned from the experiment.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure
• Student Use: Laboratory procedure, two pennies, two nickels, lined
paper, pencil or pen, and text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students will be given three genetic problems to solve using a
punnett square. Those students not mastering the content will be
instructed one on one by with the teacher.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding.
• Summative (relate to intent)
59

6. References
Performance evaluation will be through the written reports and
discussion at the conclusion of the laboratory experiment.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
3. http://vusd-
2.visalia.k12.ca.us/eldiamante/science/biology/biopdfs/Lab_Co
in_Toss.pdf
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(15 min.) Checking for understanding
Students will be given three genetic problems to solve using
punnett squares at the beginning of class. Through inquiry and
spot-checking the teacher will assess if the students are prepared
to move on.
(10 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
Today’s lesson will provide you with an opportunity to not only
understand what random chance plays into the formation of
zygotes but also you will refine your ability to predict what type of
offspring that could be created. Each group is going to use their two
pennies to record the actual offspring created by the two parents
measuring only a single trait in this experiment. After you have
collected fifty samples your will compare it to your predicted ratios.
Be sure to record your findings in your lab report. Next you will use
the pennies and the nickels to record the actual offspring with two
traits. Compare these results to the punnett square you created and
record this data as well.
(66 min.) Learning activities sequence
• Engagement (3 min.)
60

(2 min.) Closure
• Checking for background (15 min.)
• Presentation of activity (10 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of dropping coins to record the
characteristics that their offspring will have. (66 min.)
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
The strategy of fostering autonomy within the classroom was not very
successful in today’s lesson. The students appeared to have an understanding of
how to solve the Punnett square problems during the checking for understanding
portion of the lesson yet when they were left to their own devices during the lab
they were quite confused. They had problems setting up the problems from the
lab and needed a good amount of assistance.
Many of the students showed a large amount of confusion on the lab
process and when asked if they read the laboratory procedure their answer was
“no.” This showed a lack of willingness to be autonomous. Many of the students
required step by step instruction. Possible reasons for such an off day could be
to poor instruction by the teacher or just an off day for the students and their own
cognitive abilities.
61

For the next lesson the teacher will be sure to slow down and check for
understanding during the direct instruction of the laboratory procedure. The
students showed limited understanding of the standards of this lesson and
showed progress only when coached by the teacher.
62

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers Natural selection)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts involved in evolution and natural selection. Students will be
engaged in hands on activity to help them better understand what
selective pressure feels like and competition amongst animals fighting to
survive.
2. Rationale
• CS 6. Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing
effects. As a basis for understanding this concept:
o g. Students know how to distinguish between the
accommodation of an individual organism to its environment
and the gradual adaptation of a lineage of organisms through
genetic change.
• CS 7. The frequency of an allele in a gene pool of a population
depends on many factors and may be stable or unstable over time. As
a basis for understanding this concept:
o a. Students know why natural selection acts on the phenotype
rather than the genotype of an organism.
o b. Students know why alleles that are lethal in a homozygous
individual may be carried in a heterozygote and thus maintained
in a gene pool.
o c. Students know new mutations are constantly being generated
in a gene pool.
o d. Students know variation within a species increases the
likelihood that at least some members of a species will survive
under changed environmental conditions.
• CS 8. Evolution is the result of genetic changes that occur in constantly
changing environments. As a basis for understanding this concept:
o a. Students know how natural selection determines the
differential survival of groups of organisms.
63

o b. Students know a great diversity of species increases the
chance that at least some organisms survive major changes in
the environment.
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• This laboratory experiment provided the students with a chance to be
engaged in hands on activity to help them better understand what
selective pressure feels like and competition amongst animals fighting
to survive.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic nature of this activity will provide a means by
which my special needs students can be engaged. The nature in which
this activity is performed allows the students a good amount of
movement around the classroom and outdoors; which will stimulate my
students to learn.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be competing momentarily on their and then working in
groups of four or more and every student is assigned a job to do. The
kinesthetic aspect of this experiment will help give the students a good
perspective what selective pressure feels like and competition amongst
animals fighting to survive.
• Product: The product will be a detailed report summarizing their
results and explaining what they learned from the experiment.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure, stop watch, two plastic
cups, beans (white, mottled, red, and green), laptop with Excel
spreadsheet to record class data, PowerPoint projector.
• Student Use: Laboratory procedure, forceps, tongue depressor, fork,
spoon, and fore finger and thumb, plastic cup, lined paper, pencil or
pen, and text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students will be questioned about what they know about
competition in the animal and plant kingdom. A discussion will be
had were the students explore the possible ways in which animals
and plants can compete.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding. The teacher will be recording their data and
64

providing leading questions to help facilitate their processing of the
results.
• Summative (relate to intent)
6. References
Performance evaluation will be through the written reports and
discussion at the conclusion of the laboratory experiment.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
3. http://vusd-
2.visalia.k12.ca.us/eldiamante/science/biology/biopdfs/Lab_Natura
l_Selection_Activity_abstract.pdf
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(5 min.) Checking for understanding
The teacher will lead the class in a discussion about competition in
the animal and plant kingdom. A discussion will be had were the
students explore the possible ways in which animals and plants can
compete.
(10 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
Today’s lesson will help you gain a better appreciation for the
stresses involved in competing to survive in the animal kingdom.
You should also gain a better understanding to how plants compete
with each other for survival. The classroom has been separated
into five different animal species with unique adaptations for
acquiring beans and consuming them: squirrels (use forefinger and
thumbs), finch (use forceps), duck billed platypus (uses spoon),
mole (uses fork), and phoo phoo (fictitious animal that uses a
tongue depressor). We will be going outside into the quad area to a
patch of grass where eight hundred beans (white, red, mottled, and
green) have been dispersed. With your adaptation and your
65

stomach (plastic cup) you will have two minutes to obtain as many
beans as possible. Once back inside the classroom we will collect
the data and analyze it to help us determine which animal and plant
species is best adapted to this environment.
(86 min.) Learning activities sequence
(2 min.) Closure
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Checking for background (5 min.)
• Presentation of activity (10 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of competing in the grass
searching for beans, teacher will collect class data on
spreadsheet, and students will record and interpret the results.
(86 min.)
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
The hands-on and kinesthetic nature of this lesson allowed the students to
show high levels of understanding of the content standards. By having the
students go outside and compete for “food” with varying adaptations the students
were highly active and through the experience they were able to relate to the
struggles that animals go through in order to survive.
During the closure portion of the lesson the students showed that they
understood the relationships between predator and prey as well as competitive
66

organisms. The strategy of making connections between content and relevance
to students was successful in today’s lesson. Students showed a satisfaction in
how they accomplished the activity as well as their understanding of the topic of
natural selection.
67

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers the concept of what is a
theory)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts and controversies behind the theory of evolution and what a
theory is. Students will be engaged in an activity that will require their
imagination and creativity to help produce a viable theory.
2. Rationale
• CS 1. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and
conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this
concept and addressing the content in the other four strands, students
should develop their own questions and perform investigations.
Students will:
o b. Identify and communicate sources of unavoidable
experimental error.
o c. Identify possible reasons for inconsistent results, such as
sources of error or uncontrolled conditions.
o d. Formulate explanations by using logic and evidence.
o f. Distinguish between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms.
o g. Recognize the usefulness and limitations of models and
theories as scientific representations of reality.
o i. Analyze the locations, sequences, or time intervals that are
characteristic of natural phenomena (e.g., relative ages of rocks,
locations of planets over time, and succession of species in an
ecosystem).
o j. Recognize the issues of statistical variability and the need for
controlled tests.
o k. Recognize the cumulative nature of scientific evidence.
o l. Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining
and applying concepts from more than one area of science.
68

o m. Investigate a science-based societal issue by researching
the literature, analyzing data, and communicating the findings.
Examples of issues include irradiation of food, cloning of
animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer, choice of energy
sources, and land and water use decisions in California.
o n. Know that when an observation does not agree with an
accepted scientific theory, the observation is sometimes
mistaken or fraudulent (e.g., the Piltdown Man fossil or
unidentified flying objects) and that the theory is sometimes
wrong (e.g., Ptolemaic model of the movement of the Sun,
Moon, and planets).
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• This laboratory experiment provided the students with a chance to be
engaged in hands-on activity to help them better understand that
cognitive process involved in formulating a theory.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic and visual nature of this activity will provide a
means by which my special needs students can be engaged. The
students will challenged to use their creativity to come up with a theory
that will explain the body of evidence that they discover.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be working in groups of four and every student is
assigned a job to do. The visual aspect of this experiment will help give
the students a good perspective of the chance involved in passing on
genetics.
• Product: The product will be a detailed report summarizing their
results and explaining what they learned from the experiment. Each lab
group will select one person to read their theory to the rest of the
classroom.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure
• Student Use: Laboratory procedure, paper bag filled with eighteen
fake checks, lined paper, pencil or pen, and text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students will be questioned about their knowledge of what the
theory of evolution consists of and what they know about the
controversies involved with the subject. After assessing their
69

eadiness the teacher will then discuss with the students the
definition of a theory and its parameters.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding. The teacher will be helping to point out details
on the checks “evidence” that may have been overlooked by the
students.
• Summative (relate to intent)
6. References
Performance evaluation will be through the written reports and
discussion at the conclusion of the laboratory experiment. The
theories will be read aloud in the classroom.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(20 min.) Checking for understanding
The teacher will lead the class in a discussion about the theory of
evolution. This will be a powerful opportunity for the teacher to
facilitate a conversation carried by the students. Being that this
topic is somewhat sensitive the opportunity for input is high.
(5 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
In today’s lesson you get the chance to live the life of a detective or
better yet, the life of a paleontologist discovering fossils. It is
important that you get experience formulating theories from the
limited evidence that is discovered. Another and more important
facet of this activity is that you understand and experience how a
70

theory can change based on the discovery of new evidence. Each
group is going to receive a paper bag that contains eighteen checks
about the life of Paul and Leslie Bahalo. You are going to pull, at
random, only three checks out. Investigate these three checks,
write a theory about Paul and Leslie and then pull three more
checks out. After investigating the new evidence you will either
change your theory of add to it. You do this one more time and
write your final theory when you have discovered nine checks. Your
group theories will then be read to the class to help us understand
how many people with the same evidence can formulate different
theories.
(76 min.) Learning activities sequence
(2 min.) Closure
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Checking for background (20 min.)
• Presentation of activity (5 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of recording data from the checks
and formulating their theories. (76 min.)
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
The teaching technique of facilitating dialogue with students was very
successful in today’s lesson. The teacher opened the lesson with an open-ended
question to the students as to what their beliefs and feeling where about the
controversial term “evolution.” As we were moving deeper into this content it was
71

important that the teacher get an understanding of where his students were when
it came to the topic. Through the discussion many students voice their concerns
and opinions. This was very fascinating to hear the beliefs and even
misconceptions held by many of the students regarding the issue of evolution.
Due to the location of the school being in what is considered the bible belt of
California there has been many instances in the past where the teacher had
students be very resistant to the topic of evolution. Through the research
conducted by the author it was apparent that more dialogue is necessary
between teacher and students to help the students be more reassured and heard
(Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005; Pickens & Eick, 2009).
72

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers adaptation)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
biological concepts of adaptation. Students will be engaged in an activity
that will require their imagination and creativity to help produce an
accurate sketch of a fictitious animal and its environment.
2. Rationale
• CS 6. Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing
effects. As a basis for understanding this concept:
o g. Students know how to distinguish between the
accommodation of an individual organism to its environment
and the gradual adaptation of a lineage of organisms through
genetic change.
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• This laboratory experiment provided the students with a chance to be
engaged in hands-on activity to help them better understand what
selective pressure feels like and competition amongst animals fighting
to survive.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic and visual nature of this activity will provide a
means by which my special needs students can be engaged. The
students will be challenged to use their creativity and sketch an
accurate drawing of the fictitious animal based on the details listed in
the introduction of the laboratory report.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be working in groups of four and every student is
assigned a job to do. The visual aspect of this experiment will help give
73

the students a good perspective of the changing environment and how
it could affect an animal population.
• Product: The product will be a detailed report summarizing their
results and explaining what they learned from the experiment. Each
student will have a sketch of their “darid” before and after an
environment change.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure
• Student Use: Laboratory procedure, blank white paper, pencil or pen,
and text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students will engage in a discussion about natural selection and
the benefit of adaptations.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding. The teacher will be helping to point out details
about the darid that they may have over looked.
• Summative (relate to intent)
6. References
Performance evaluation will be through the written reports and
discussion at the conclusion of the laboratory experiment.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
3. http://vusd-
2.visalia.k12.ca.us/eldiamante/science/biology/biopdfs/Lab_Darid.
pdf
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (55 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
74

Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(5 min.) Checking for understanding
The teacher will lead the class in a discussion about adaptations
and how the changing environment will dictate what adaptations will
be best. This will be a powerful opportunity for the teacher to
facilitate a conversation carried by the students.
(5 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
In today’s lesson you get to demonstrate your knowledge and
understanding of the concepts involved with natural selection,
evolution, and adaptation. Each of you will be given a copy of the
natural history of a Darid. Can anyone tell me what a “natural
history” is? Teacher will work out the solution with patience and
with leading questions. Response should be the everyday
interactions of a living organism in its environment. You must make
a detailed data table of all the darid’s characteristics and the
environment in which it lives. Once this data table has been made
you will then draw this darid in its environment to the best of your
ability. Note that I am not so concerned about the quality of your
drawing instead I am concerned about the accuracy of your
drawings. After you have completed your first drawing I will assign
you a new environmental change (there will be seven options). You
are then required to draw the new environment and a new darid
species that would have adapted to the new environment.
(40 min.) Learning activities sequence
(2 min.) Closure
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Checking for background (5 min.)
• Presentation of activity (5 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of recording data from the checks
and formulating their theories. (40 min.)
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
75

• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
The strategies of creating a classroom where the environment is inviting
appear to be working due to the lack of discipline problems among the students.
The students appear to respect each other and the teacher most likely due to the
intention of the teacher to be present at the door to greet the students as they
enter the classroom.
The students appear to meet the learning standards and showed a strong
understanding for the content in the closure discussion. Many of the students
showed great comfort in making attempts to explain their drawings of the darids
in new environment. Usually a problem within classrooms is the process of
getting students to contribute yet the relaxing environment in this biology
classroom seems to foster discussions.
76

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers Deep Time Lab)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts of geologic time and fossils. Students will be engaged in an
activity that will require their imagination and creativity to help produce a
timeline that is accurate and well constructed.
2. Rationale
• CS 1. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and
conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this
concept and addressing the content in the other four strands, students
should develop their own questions and perform investigations.
Students will:
o b. Identify and communicate sources of unavoidable
experimental error.
o c. Identify possible reasons for inconsistent results, such as
sources of error or uncontrolled conditions.
o d. Formulate explanations by using logic and evidence.
o f. Distinguish between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms.
o g. Recognize the usefulness and limitations of models and
theories as scientific representations of reality.
o i. Analyze the locations, sequences, or time intervals that are
characteristic of natural phenomena (e.g., relative ages of rocks,
locations of planets over time, and succession of species in an
ecosystem).
o j. Recognize the issues of statistical variability and the need for
controlled tests.
o k. Recognize the cumulative nature of scientific evidence.
o l. Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining
and applying concepts from more than one area of science.
o m. Investigate a science-based societal issue by researching
the literature, analyzing data, and communicating the findings.
77

Examples of issues include irradiation of food, cloning of
animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer, choice of energy
sources, and land and water use decisions in California.
o n. Know that when an observation does not agree with an
accepted scientific theory, the observation is sometimes
mistaken or fraudulent (e.g., the Piltdown Man fossil or
unidentified flying objects) and that the theory is sometimes
wrong (e.g., Ptolemaic model of the movement of the Sun,
Moon, and planets).
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• This laboratory experiment will give the students will be engaged in
hands on activity to help them better understand how old the earth is
and how the events of evolution have increased the closer we move
towards the present.
3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic and visual nature of this activity will provide a
means by which my special needs students can be engaged. The
students will be challenged to use their creativity to use a meter stick
and labels to properly construct the timeline.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be working in groups of four and every student is
assigned a job to do. The visual aspect of this experiment will help give
the students a good perspective of age of the earth.
• Product: The product will be a detailed report summarizing their
results and explaining what they learned from the experiment.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure
• Student Use: Laboratory procedure, register tape (5 meters per
group), pencil or pen, handout with geologic events, meter stick, glue,
and text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students will be questioned about their knowledge of the
approximate age of the earth and the events of the earth’s history.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding. The teacher will be helping to point out how to
78

convert the age of each event into centimeters for the proper
placement on the timeline.
• Summative (relate to intent)
6. References
Performance evaluation will be through the written reports and
discussion at the conclusion of the laboratory experiment.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(5 min.) Checking for understanding
The teacher will lead the class in a discussion about the
approximate age of the earth and the events of the earth’s history.
(5 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
(91 min.) Learning activities sequence
(2 min.) Closure
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Checking for background (5 min.)
• Presentation of activity (5 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of recording data from the checks
and formulating their theories. (91 min.)
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
79

Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
Reflection
The strategy of fostering autonomy was very successful in this lesson on
deep space and time. The students were allowed to make their own decisions as
to the best solutions to this lab. The teacher was actively walking among the
students and was able to give subtle tips to help foster his students towards
possible solutions to temporary roadblocks such as the proper conversion of
centimeters into ten’s of millions of years. The students meet the standard of
using the scientific method to solve the lab and make accurate measurements.
80

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1717 S. Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702-4709
www.fresno.edu
FORMAL LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
By Jon Conrad
Part I: Planning to Teach (Lesson covers Allele frequencies of a
population)
1. Intent
The intent is to increase student’s motivation and comprehension of the
concepts behind the measurement of alleles within a population.
2. Rationale
• CS 7. The frequency of an allele in a gene pool of a population
depends on many factors and may be stable or unstable over time. As
a basis for understanding this concept:
o a. Students know why natural selection acts on the phenotype
rather than the genotype of an organism.
o b. Students know why alleles that are lethal in a homozygous
individual may be carried in a heterozygote and thus maintained
in a gene pool.
o c. Students know new mutations are constantly being generated
in a gene pool.
o d. Students know variation within a species increases the
likelihood that at least some members of a species will survive
under changed environmental conditions.
o e. Students know the conditions for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
in a population and why these conditions are not likely to appear
in nature.
o f. Students know how to solve the Hardy-Weinberg equation to
predict the frequency of genotypes in a population, given the
frequency of phenotypes.
• The activity will stimulate students by the interaction with others.
• This laboratory experiment will give the students the tools and
understanding to calculate the allele frequencies within a population.
81

3. Plan for Differentiation
• Process: The kinesthetic nature of this activity will provide a means by
which my special needs students can be engaged. The nature in which
this activity is performed allows the students a good amount of
movement around the classroom; which will stimulate my students to
learn.
• Content: The content is differentiated in that my special needs
students are paired up with students of higher cognitive abilities. The
students will be working in groups of four and every student is
assigned a job to do. The visual aspect of this experiment will help give
the students a good perspective of the chance involved in passing on
genetics.
• Product: The product will be a detailed report summarizing their
results and explaining what they learned from the experiment.
4. Materials
• Teacher Use: Copy of laboratory procedure
• Student Use: Laboratory procedure, paper bag filled with red and
white beans, lined paper, pencil or pen, and text book McDougal Littell,
5. Plan for Assessment & Analysis of Student Learning
• Entry-level (prior) –
Students will be questioned about their knowledge of alleles and
measuring frequencies.
• Progress Monitoring (ongoing/formative) –
Students will be monitored by spot checks on their procedure. The
teacher will be moving amongst the students and assisting them in
their understanding. The teacher will be helping to point out details
on the checks “evidence” that may have been overlooked by the
students.
• Summative (relate to intent)
6. References
Performance evaluation will be through the written reports and
discussion at the conclusion of the laboratory experiment.
1. California State Standards for Biology
2. Biology text book, McDougal Littell
3. http://vusd-
2.visalia.k12.ca.us/eldiamante/science/biology/biopdfs/LAB_ALLE
LE_FREQUENCY.pdf
82

Part II: Procedures for the Lesson
Total time allotted for the lesson: (106 minutes)
(3 min.) Engagement
Students enter classroom and immediately answer two warm up
questions that will help them focus on the lesson content. The
teacher then goes over the questions and the day’s agenda.
(5 min.) Checking for understanding
The teacher will lead the class in a discussion alleles and
measuring frequencies.
(10 min.) Statement or Demonstration of Lesson Intent
Teacher explains laboratory procedures to his students.
(86 min.) Learning activities sequence
(2 min.) Closure
• Engagement (3 min.)
• Checking for background (5 min.)
• Presentation of activity (10 min.)
• Students will begin procedure of recording data from the checks
and formulating their theories. (86 min.)
Teacher and students discuss what type of results they obtained
and what they learned from the activity.
Part III: Reflecting on Student Learning Outcomes After You Teach the
Lesson
• How did these strategies work?
• Give brief summary of student learning.
• Did students meet the standard?
• Collect student work.
• What should my next steps be?
83

Reflection
This was a wonderful lab activity that really allowed the students the
opportunity to come up with the best methods of completing the lab in a timely
and accurate manor. The process of eliminating animals from this activity
required prior knowledge of math skills and basic deduction. Even in the
moments of visible student frustration with overcoming the problems presented in
the lab there were many occasions of satisfaction with completing the
assignment and gaining more knowledge in the calculations of genetics.
84

Analysis of Findings
The author took both a qualitative and quantitative approach to analyzing
the findings of this study. Quantitatively the author looked at the failure rate
(tables 1 & 2) and percentage of lab reports not completed or turned in over the
past five years of instruction in biology (table 3). As the student failure rate and
the high number of school drop outs can be linked to low levels of engagement
and motivation, the author believed that this data was relevant to predicting the
success of instituting new teaching methods to increase motivation within the
biology classroom.
Part of the aim of this study was the fostering of intrinsic motivation among
the author’s students through establishing healthy teacher-student relationships
and the development of stronger student autonomy. Hopefully this resulted in
students being more self-regulated (Seifert, 2004) and finding satisfaction solely
from learning. These student want to achieve more and do not rely upon
external motivators to get them to produce (Gonzalez, 2002). A logical outcome
of increased intrinsic motivation among the author’s students should therefore
result in more students turning in work and more students passing biology. Yet
the information presented below showed that though there was a decrease in
failing students, there was no significant change in the percentage of students
turning in or completing work.
The author also took a qualitative approach to analyzing the findings. As
stated in the reflection on student learning, the author will go into detail about the
85

esults that were found from instituting the following new teaching methods:
establishing a healthy, safe and warm learning environment, healthy teacherstudent
relationship, parental communication, and increased student autonomy.
When looking at the failure rates in tables 1 and 2, from 2005 to 2009
there was a noticeable drop from the 2008 to 2009 of 48% to 32%, a 16% drop in
failure rates. The factors which could have led to this result need to be
enumerated and analyzed. Among the variables to be considered, the quality of
student from 2008 to 2009 as well as the overall cognitive abilities of the two
grade levels studied must be included. The pacing of content from 2008 to 2009
could also play a role in the decrease of failing students. In 2008 the average
pace of covering biological material was approximately a half day faster than in
2009. These students generally had more time to complete assignments.
Table 1
Table 2
86

______________________________________________________
Yet the decreased failure rate could also be attributed to the use of new
teaching techniques by the author. Following the research-based methodology,
the author made vast efforts at approaching the lesson plans from a direction
with autonomy in mind. For example, allowing students to work at their own pace
with limited restrictions seemed to make students feel as though they had more
say in their education (Gonzalez, 2002; Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, & Holbein,
2005). But did this added sense of self-determination cause the students to take
more responsibility for their learning, and did this lead to the decrease of the
failure rate? The problem of locating with certainty the exact cause of the
success in 2009 still remains. The ability to assess this is outside the scope of
this study.
Another interesting fact about the data collected in regards to the
percentage of students either failing to complete or turn in lab work showed that
there is little to no improvement over the past five years of data. The author
87

looked through the grade reports of the previous four years as well as this year’s
result and recorded the number of students failing to receive credit for three or
more laboratory reports with the understanding that missing one or two lab
reports was still considered efficient and not negligent.
Table 3
______________________________________________________
The reason why this evidence was significant is that it was a determinant
as to whether or not students are showing true autonomous and intrinsic
motivation. If a student is to be intrinsically motivated, the enjoyment and
satisfaction of learning something new and completing assignments is an end all
in itself (Hassan, 2008). So a clear indication of students showing increased
motivation would be the corollary of increased assignments being completed and
turned in. Yet as the data clearly indicates, there has been no substantial change
88

in this area. Table 3 showed the anomaly of 2008 low rate of 28% is not
significant although highly welcomed by the author.
With the average incompletion rate maintaining at roughly 41%, it is this
author’s conclusion that although progress is made within the classroom
environment in regards to student motivation, the factor that is out of the
teacher’s control was the motivation that was fostered at home with the parents.
As the majority of the laboratory reports are to be completed at home as
homework, the opportunity for the parents to play an important role in their child’s
learning process is regularly available (Hoover-Dempsey, et al, 2001).
The conclusion must be drawn that there was something not being
accomplished within the family dynamic at home. When that is the environment
where the work is to be completed there needs to be fostering of education for
the student. Yet if the student was consistently coming to school unprepared
there must be a breakdown in the motivation at home. It is this author’s belief that
strides need to be made in teacher communication with parents, not just in
quantity but in quality. The author will speak about the topic of parental
involvement later within the analysis as well as conclusion of this study.
In analyzing the qualitative approach to the findings, it must be said that
the author experienced an overall improvement in the attitudes of the students.
By the author greeting each student at the door and making sure to acknowledge
all students as individuals, a sense was instilled within the classroom that most
students were welcome and wanted to be there. The playing of music in the
background helped encourage connections made with many students through
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discussion brought on by likes and dislikes in music, thereby opening lines of
communication that might otherwise have remained closed. The environment
was one in which the students appeared comfortable and relaxed.
An area where there could be vast improvements made is the teacherparent
communication. The problem appears to be not one of volume of
communication, but one of a lacking of quality. As stated earlier most parents
inquire as to the current status of their child but not as to what their child is
learning or how the process is proceeding. There may be an intimidation factor
for most parents, as many are not familiar with the subject themselves and
therefore hesitate to enquire about content due to the challenging nature of
biology. If more parents are provided with tools to better help their children at
home with the content, one could conclude that student motivation would
increase with increased participation from their parents (Gonzalez, 2002;
Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, & Holbein, 2005; Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon,
2007; Régner, Loose, & Dumas, 2009; Suizzo & Soon, 2006).
Conclusion/Recommendations
From the data gathered in this study there is no clear or significant proof
that the techniques used will increase student motivation and desire to be more
engaged in biology. Although the number of failing students, by percentage,
decreased from the previous years to this year’s study, there is no clear linkage
between the improved grades and new techniques used to improve motivation. In
2005 the author’s failure rate was a staggering 54%; 2006 the rate declined to
35% and rose to 39% in 2007; 2008 the rate continued to rise to 48% and
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dropped to the lowest to date with 32% in 2009. With fewer students failing after
instituting the new techniques one would think that the cause could be
motivation. Yet there is no actual data tying the two together.
Regardless of a lack of data supporting these teaching techniques, the
impact and change within the classroom was apparent. There was more laughter
and dialogue within these few months of study then the previous four years of
teaching biology. The use of humor and music helped establish a mood within
the classroom that the author believes enabled the students to be more relaxed
and productive(Hallam & Price, 1998; Wanzer, Frymier, & Irwin, 2010).
It is this author’s belief that every teacher should greet his/her students at
the door of the classroom to help establish a healthy relationship between
students and teachers. By engaging the students before they even enter the
classroom, the teacher is setting the tone for how the atmosphere will be within
the classroom setting (Grubaugh & Houston, 1990). Students are more likely to
feel like they are viewed as a person through this brief yet intimate contact with
their teacher. When the student feels that the teacher cares for his wellbeing, he
or she is more likely to perform well for the teacher within the classroom
(Bernstein-Yamashiro, 2005).
A challenge to this study was the fostering of autonomy among students
with the emphasis of motivating students to be intrinsically motivated. Allowing
students to choose deadlines or the amount of time necessary to complete
assignments seemed productive to fostering autonomy. Yet the rate of students
not turning in assignments seemed to be consistent with previous years. The
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average rate of students not turning in assignments has remained steady at 42%
with a rare drop in 2008 to 28%. If autonomy and intrinsic motivation is supposed
to increase with more student choice (Stefanou, et al, 2004) in their education,
the author would have expected to see improvement in the area of turning in
completed work. Yet this appeared to not be the case.
There are of course other factors involved in student motivation
specifically when it comes to completing assignments. One of those factors is
parental involvement; quite possibly the most important factor in increased
student motivation (Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2009; Gonzalez, 2002; Gonzalez-
DeHass, Willems, & Holbein, 2005; Hoover-Dempsey, et al, 2001; Lavigne,
Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007; Régner, Loose, & Dumas, 2009; Suizzo & Soon,
2006). If a parent was not checking in on their child’s education and not making
sure that they were completing assignments then there was a higher chance that
student would not complete the assignment. If parents show their children the
importance of hard work and diligent study, their children are more likely going to
be intrinsically motivated (Gonzalez, 2002; Stefanou, et al, 2004).
There needs to be further study into techniques that teachers can use to
better equip parents to be supportive of their children’s education. The author of
this study found that most of the communication between teacher and parent was
merely informational in the form of letting parents know their child’s current
grade. Though it is important for parents to know this information and in some
cases this may even promote an environment where the parents are more
involved at home, there was very little information being conveyed to the parents
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as to methods in which to help their children learn the material. It would seem to
follow that an interesting element of further study might be to find a way to
produce a curriculum that will enable parents to know how to use their influence
in a positive way and be able to help their students in biology specific content.
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